


Here To Help

by incrxdibles



Category: The Incredibles (2004)
Genre: Angst, Banter, Crush, F/F, Fluff, Prison, Slow Burn, house arrest
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2018-07-14
Updated: 2018-08-05
Packaged: 2019-06-10 08:42:21
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 5
Words: 6,017
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/15287832
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/incrxdibles/pseuds/incrxdibles
Summary: Months after the events of “Incredibles 2,” Helen “Elastigirl” Parr is challenged with the daunting task of helping Evelyn Deavor out of prison. Elastigirl tells herself that she’s strictly just there to help, but could her constant contact with Evelyn reveal different motives?





	1. The Call

**Author's Note:**

> The chemistry between Helen and Evelyn on screen was just so prominent that I felt absolutely compelled to write a fanfiction about them! I hope you enjoy!

Helen smelt the sharp, fresh aroma of newly cut grass from inside her kitchen. Her hands worked steadily as she diced celery for the day’s lunch. With her recent work in the legalization of superheroes, it had been a long while since Helen was actually able to prepare a home-cooked meal for her family. She had eased back into being strictly a mother figure and wife better than anyone could have expected, which her husband appreciated greatly.

 

Bob, who was preoccupied mowing the lawn, passed by the window in front of Helen. She gave her husband a small wave, and he smiled contently as the midday sun beat down on his muscular shoulders. It had been too long, Helen realized, since she was settled.

 

It had only been two months since she’d stopped working with Devtech, and shortly after,  her husband was left to take on the next mission. She remembered what Bob had said to her on the night she decided to resume hero work: “You go and do this thing. Do it so… I can do it better.” Although Helen didn’t agree one-hundred percent with his statement, she did have the decency to realize that being a superhero was Bob’s biggest passion, and as long as he was happy – now as a  _ legal  _ superhero – she was even happier. And even so, it took her no less than a few days after the incidents with the Screenslaver to realize that as much as she loved her hero work, she loved taking care of her kids more.

 

But that wasn’t to say that she would object to taking on more missions in the future, given the chance.

 

As Helen worked on her chicken salad sandwiches for her family, she felt an unfamiliar emptiness in the pit of her stomach. It wasn’t hunger; although she felt that too, considering the food splayed out in front of her. It felt… different. Before she could delve deeper into what she thought she was missing, the phone rang.

 

“I’ve got it, kids!” She called, knowing that Dash would instantly gravitate toward the phone. He just loved to play pranks on unsuspecting telemarketers. She stretched her arm across the room to grab the phone from the wall before anyone else could answer. “Hello?”

 

“Elastigirl? It’s Winston. How are you?” The man’s voice, even over the phone, seemed bright and cheery, as always. His sudden prominence in the Parr family’s life led to an increase in phone calls on Winston’s part. He always liked to make sure they were doing all right under his protection. It proved that he felt indebted to the family – especially after all that they had been through.

 

“Hey, Win! I’m doing just fine. And we’ve been over this; you’re more than welcome to call me Helen.” She chuckled at the implied innocence Winston displayed in using her superhero moniker. He’d always had the habit of calling her “Elastigirl;” she figured it was out of respect.

 

“Sorry. Listen, I’m calling with a favor. I understand if you’re busy, so just say ‘no’ if you need to, but…” Helen could hear a nervousness settle over Winston’s tone. Professionally, he had never seemed unsure of anything. “It’s about Evelyn.”

 

Evelyn. The name sent a pang of hurt through her chest. Evelyn Deavor. Someone whom she thought she could trust. Someone who tried to destroy her family. Someone who gave her reason to fight crime again.  _ That  _ Evelyn Deavor. Her enemy. Her friend.

 

Helen had desperately tried not to think about Evelyn for the past few months. As hard as it was to forget, it was putting a damper on her mood every time she reminisced about how responsible she was for putting the woman in jail. Sure, she had put other criminals in jail before, but Helen had felt a connection to Evelyn that she hadn’t had with the other criminals. She had finally found another woman close to her line of work who understood how hard it was to thrive in a “man’s world.” But, each time she tried to think fondly about their nighttime chats, a bitter taste was left in her mouth when she remembered Evelyn’s intrusive motives. Was their friendship really all a façade? Helen couldn’t bear to wonder about that. Not when she had a family to take care of.

 

The only words Helen could find to answer Winston were “Is she okay?” She feared that she sounded too concerned. Should she be this worried about someone who almost destroyed the permanent reputation of supers?

 

“She’s… alright. I was just wondering if you’d be able to… help her get a better deal, as far as punishments go.”

 

“What? You mean you haven’t been able to get her out of prison yet?”

 

“Well, you see… that part is my fault. I figured leaving her there for a while would help her shape up; give her a taste of what happens when you screw so many people over. But I visited her for the first time recently, and –“

 

Helen’s eyes widened as she interrupted the man on the other line. “The  _ first time?  _ Winston, she’s been in there for two months! You’re her  _ brother.  _ You haven’t even thought about visiting her?”

 

“I have, Helen, I promise you I have. It’s just that… I’ve been so busy with work, and it’s been tough for me to want to look her in the eyes after what she did… but the bottom line is that she’s not been holding up so well in the clink.” Helen could tell that Winston cared about his sister. It was understandable that he wouldn’t want to interact with someone who had done so much wrongdoing, especially when he had looked up to her his whole life. Helen’s motherly nature kicked in quickly. “How can I help, Win?”

 

“Don’t feel that you’re obligated to do this for me; I know it sounds like I’m just pushing this off on others. But. I was wondering if you’d be able to check up on Evelyn for me. Let me know how she’s doing, and see if we can’t help her get out of that rusty old jail cell. I know that you know people; I know that you could really make a difference in getting her some help. At least get her on house arrest? I guess I didn’t realize it before, but Ev doesn’t need so much time in jail. She only needs someone to look out for her. She’s not really evil, contrary to popular belief. She’s my sister, Helen.” Winston’s voice quivered, almost as if he were on the verge of tears. Helen felt bad for him; he began to show a type of vulnerability that she had never witnessed before.

 

“I’ll see what I can do. But, can I ask you a question?” Helen bit her lip with thought.

 

“Yes, anything.”

 

“Why’d you pick me? Not that I don’t want to help – because I do. But why not choose someone at Devtech?”

 

“Well… Evelyn had told me, while we were working with you, that you were the only one, aside from myself, that she felt like she could trust. And although I don’t know if that was a lie or not, it sounded pretty genuine to me, despite her end goals. Ev didn’t seem too overjoyed that she felt that way – because you’re a super – but she  _ did  _ know that she could confide in you. And right now I think that’s what she needs.” Winston’s explanation shocked Helen. She could feel her heart rate quicken at the thought of Evelyn feeling trusted by her. She knew that Evelyn didn’t express her feelings often, and Winston knew the same. So her feelings of trust just  _ had  _ to be true. Helen didn’t know how to respond. She hadn’t thought about Evelyn in the longest time, and suddenly… Winston’s request sparked a feeling of  _ need _ within her. As if she  _ needed  _ contact with this woman.

 

Helen thought for a moment. “I’ll visit Evelyn tomorrow, after I drop the kids off at school. Sound good?”

 

“Great! Thank you so much, Helen. You don’t know what this means to me.”

 

The two said their goodbyes, and Helen hung up the phone. Bob entered the kitchen just as she placed the phone back onto the receiver. “Who was that, honey?”

 

“Oh, just Winston. He wanted to see how we were holding up, as per usual.” Helen had decided that telling her husband about the visit to Evelyn tomorrow wasn’t the best idea. He didn’t like Evelyn, which was completely understandable.

 

Bob opened the fridge and grabbed a water bottle. “What a nice guy Winston is. Can’t believe he’s related to the Screenslaver.” The tone of anger in his voice as he spoke the last sentence caused Helen to feel defensive. Before she could respond to her husband she stopped to think: Why did she feel the need to suddenly defend Evelyn?

 

Could this be what Helen was missing?


	2. The First Visit

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Helen visits a well-known criminal for the first time, and — surprisingly — progress is made.

The car ride to Metroville prison was long and quiet. Helen, who still couldn’t believe she was visiting Evelyn Deavor, gripped the steering wheel with white knuckles as she sped through morning traffic. As soon as she reached her destination, she put the car in park and sat in silence.

 

How on earth was she going to accomplish the feat of releasing a criminal mastermind from prison? It was going to be a long day trying to figure that one out.

* * *

Helen walked into the cream-colored corridor hesitantly. Prison visitors filled individual cubicles as they spoke to their respective inmates; some of them crying, some of them yelling, some of them pleading oncoming prison workers to let their loved ones go. The worker leading Helen down the corridor moved at a fast pace, signaling that he knew exactly where Evelyn would be positioned. It wasn’t until the last cubicle that the man stopped and motioned for Helen to take a seat. As she slid onto the cushiony stool, Helen was finally able to get a good look at the woman positioned in front of her. 

 

Even from behind the glass, Evelyn looked awful. Her orange jumpsuit – seemingly a few sizes too big – did nothing to compliment the purple circles under her eyes, or the pale complexion of her face. Her brown hair was disheveled, and stuck out in all directions. After looking at her, it took all that Helen had in her to keep from physically cringing. The sight of this once-put-together woman, who was suddenly so torn apart, made Helen feel twice as bad.

 

“Well, are you going to say something, or are you just going to stare at me?” The husky timbre of Evelyn’s voice rang through the communication device at Helen’s ear.

 

“Evelyn. I’m so sorry, I —“

 

“Just cut to the chase. I’ve got lunch in thirty minutes and I’m _not_ about to miss out on roasted turkey Tuesday.” The sarcastic tone in her voice was not easy to miss. It was in that moment that Helen had decided that traditional apologies to Evelyn weren’t going to please her.

 

“I just thought I would come check on you… see how you’re holding up.” Helen tried to sound as sincere as possible.

 

“Right. So you can go home and parade around the fact that I’m a complete mess?” Evelyn gestured to her unclean state with disgust. Disgust in herself, or with her current visitor? Helen couldn’t tell.

 

“Look, I don’t need your pity party.” She continued, “I get enough of that from my brother — though he’s useless. He hasn’t done anything to help me. I was hoping to be out of here in two weeks, tops. But here I am… two _months_ later…” 

 

Helen shifted her eyes away from the gaze of the woman across from her. “Well, you see, that’s why I’m here.”

 

Without missing a beat, Evelyn scoffed. “For my brother? God. I should have guessed. Of course _he_ can’t be bothered with me now…  too busy with his company, huh. It should be _our_ company. And of all people, he sends her…” The brunette mumbled angrily, more to herself than to her visitor. Helen let her ramble for a little bit, then interrupted her calmly. “I’m not here because of Winston.”

 

The lie slipped through her teeth before she could tell herself otherwise. Helen wasn’t usually one to tell lies so easily, but she knew how stubborn Evelyn could be. If she found out that Helen was there only to fulfill Winston’s wishes, she definitely wouldn’t have given Helen any more time to speak. She felt bad for Evelyn, and didn’t feel the need to confirm any of her beliefs about her brother.

 

After all, Winston had the right intention in sending Helen to aid the acclaimed villainess, but, in hindsight, it _did_ seem like he was just trying to push his personal life onto others. But, in this moment, none of that mattered to Helen.

 

“Oh?” Evelyn pushed a brown piece of hair out of her face, and cocked her head to the side. “Come to confess your undying love for me, did you?” Without waiting for a response, a snarky chuckle left the woman’s lips. It clearly wasn’t possible for Helen to make headway with Evelyn unless she was firm.

 

“Listen. I’m only here to help you get out of this place. As your friend.”

 

Evelyn raised an eyebrow. “My friend? Yeah right. If you were really my friend you’d already have attempted to sneak me out of here, rather than handle things so diplomatically. So where’s your crowbar, Elastigirl?”

 

In response to Evelyn’s bad attitude, Helen began to stand up from her seat. “So what I’m hearing is that you’d like to stay here? Say the word and I’ll leave. Orange really is your color, you know.”

 

Evelyn responded almost too quickly, with a loud “No!” As soon as the word left her mouth, it was evident that she began to internally scold herself. Helen knew all too well that Evelyn was not one to show weakness, and with a vulnerable response like that, she seemed much unlike her usual independent self.

 

“I mean,” Evelyn tried to correct herself, “If you can get me a better deal than what I’ve got going on right now, I’m all for it. But I wouldn’t be surprised if you made little to no progress, just like my brother.”

 

Helen smiled warmly at the woman in front of her. If she was going to make any progress for Winston in getting his sister out of prison, this was the first step. “Give me a week. I’ve got a few connections that your brother doesn’t. I’m sure you’ll be out of here in no time.”

 

The smile that Helen offered to Evelyn was not returned. “How do I know that you don’t have some sick superhero motive for doing this?”

 

“What?”

 

“There’s no way you can’t be doing this for your own satisfaction. So I’ll end up ‘good?’ So I’ll be open to enjoying superhero activity? If that’s what you’re in this for, I don’t want any part of it.”

 

“Evelyn, I’m doing this for W –“ Helen caught herself. Clearly, many years of training herself to tell the truth were starting to catch up with her. Her tendency to tell the truth was a reflex, but her quick wit was faster. She replaced the ‘W’ in Winston’s name for a similar sounding word without thinking. “One reason. I’m doing this for one reason: You. Although I don’t think your actions go without punishment –“ Evelyn scoffed in response, “- I _do_ think you deserve a second chance. What you did was wrong. But your reasons for doing those things weren’t.”

 

“I’d rather not be the target of your ‘reform project.’” Evelyn retorted.

 

“That’s not what this is.” Helen finally stood up. “You’ll understand soon enough. And until then, get some rest. Please. You look like you just got hit with a bus.”

 

Evelyn refused to look at Helen. “Or shot out of a plane.”

 

“I’ll be back tomorrow with more news.” And with that, Helen turned and left the booth. As she walked away, she could have sworn she heard Evelyn whisper a single word: “Tomorrow?”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Wow! The love and support that I’ve recieved for this fanfic (and only in just one day!!) is overwhelming! Thank you all so much for taking an interest in my writing! I’m thinking of creating a schedule for me to update this fic, because daily updates definitely won’t be common for me. Sunday’s and Thursday’s seem to be my best bet, so make sure to set your calendars! Thanks again for reading!


	3. The Plan

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Helen visits once again, bringing news, and a confidence that peaks Evelyn’s curiosity.

Evelyn hadn’t experienced what it was like to be visited in prison twice in a row. Or, what it was like to be visited in prison at all, for that matter. Her brother had only visited once, and even then, it didn’t seem like he was overly enthused to be in her presence. His visit didn’t count.

 

So when Helen Parr showed up the next day, just as she had promised, Evelyn was shocked beyond belief. _She really_ does _want to help me…_ Her thoughts screamed with happiness as she finally understood the feeling of someone taking an interest in how she was holding up. On the outside, however, she remained stone-faced and angry.

 

“All that coffee and you didn’t think to bring some for me?” She gestured to the large coffee in Helen’s hand as she sat down.

 

“I would say yes,” Helen started, “Because I did bring some for you originally, but the workers wouldn’t let me give it to you. I guess anything that’s not an orange jumpsuit and lunch tray is ‘dangerous material’ to a criminal mastermind. Sorry.”

 

“Yeah, I know the rules. It’s probably for my own good, though. I would have thrown it at the warden anyway. That guy’s the worst.” Evelyn rolled her eyes, and Helen let out a small chuckle. “So? Did you at least bring me any _news_?”

 

“Actually, yes. I —“

 

Evelyn interrupted swiftly. “Woah, woah, woah. It’s only been a day, stretch. I didn’t think you’d get this far so soon.”

 

To Evelyn’s amusement, Helen ignored her new nickname. “Well, I figured I’ve gotta work fast if I want my friend out of this dump.”

 

Evelyn wondered why Helen kept putting an emphasis on the word “friend.” After everything Evelyn had done to the Parr’s, Helen still wanted to form a bond with her? It didn’t seem logical, yet here Helen was, reaching out to her. Evelyn wished that she could just come out and ask the redhead about her choice of words, but instead of being genuine, she once again chose to tuck her thoughts away. “So what’s the news.”

 

Helen raised an eyebrow, probably at the fact that Evelyn made no effort at any snide remarks. She continued nonetheless. “I talked with your lawyer. Brought up the idea of putting you on an extended house arrest in substitute of prison time. She said that she hadn’t heard of a solution like that yet. I guess all Winston tried to do was completely let you go, punishment free.”

 

“I knew he would do that. He doesn’t understand that although money can get you a lot of things, it can’t get you whatever you want, whenever you want.” Evelyn picked at the dirt under her fingernails. House arrest was looking _really_ promising at a time like this. “The Deavors may be rich, but we’re not magic.”

 

“Before I leave I’m going to talk to a few people here at the prison, and give them a heads up that you’ll be leaving; hopefully soon.” Helen replied confidently.

 

“How can you tell them I’m leaving already? It doesn’t seem like we’ve made any progress yet.”

 

“I told you to give me a week. Just you wait, Deavor, just you wait.” The ambiguity of Helen’s words angered Evelyn. She needed to know what her plan was — right there and then. Before Evelyn could make a remark, though, Helen looked at her watch, and began to stand up. “Listen, I know I haven’t stayed long, but I’ve gotta go. Violet’s getting out of school early for a dentist appointment. I promise I’ll be back soon, and with more news. Okay?”

 

“Sure, sure.” Evelyn tried her best to seem uninterested in the conversation. She didn’t even bother to say goodbye to Helen, despite her thoughts to do the opposite. “Next time,” She said instead, “Smuggle that coffee in your jacket. They won’t check there. Oh, and put it in a flask. And actually, just skip the coffee entirely and make it vodka.”

 

Helen did nothing but stare at the brunette, seemingly searching the other woman’s face for a hint of humor. She smirked. “If you want me to be stuck in that jail cell with you, I’ll do it.” Helen gave a small wave to Evelyn, and headed out of the room. As she walked away, Evelyn could only think about what she would do if Helen really _was_ stuck in her jail cell with her.

* * *

Later that night, Evelyn lay awake on her cot, deep in thought. If she were to finally be free of this place, where would they send her? To one of her family’s many homes, she hoped.

Helen’s words echoed through her mind as she tossed and turned restlessly. What power did Helen have that she didn’t, as far as dealing with her own problems? Evelyn had never become flustered in the event of trying to solve her own legal trouble, but this time, she didn’t feel like she physically _could_ do anything to help herself.

More and more questions bubbled to the surface of Evelyn’s mind, which scared her. She had _always_ had answers. Ever since high school, she was given the reputation of being the most knowledgeable girl in any situation. She could solve any problem; crack any code. So why was this situation any different?

Deep down, Evelyn knew why. Whether or not she wanted to admit it, for the first time, she didn’t feel like she wanted (or even _needed_ ) to take part in her endeavors to bust out of jail. She knew that she didn’t need to be at the front lines — unlike when her brother tried to help — and it was all because of her immense trust in the one person who wanted to help her the most: Helen Parr.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Kind of a filler chapter, but I hope you all enjoyed! It gets going soon ;)


	4. The Confrontation

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> A confrontation leads to an unwanted decision, and leaves both women alone with their own thoughts.

Evelyn hugged her knees to her chest as she sat on the visiting room stool and waited. Helen had visited every day since Monday — without fail — around nine o’clock in the morning. Each visit brought more information, and more importantly, brought her closer to her release from prison.

 

On what she would like to consider a seemingly  _ less  _ important note, Evelyn was also brought closer to the one woman she’d assumed she’d never again have contact with. 

 

In the long hour that passed, Evelyn thought fondly of the bond that her and Helen had shared over the past few days. Aside from planning her imminent removal from jail, the two women found themselves talking about each other’s lives, and even sometimes discussing philosophy or moral dilemmas. If Evelyn hadn’t been stuck in Metroville prison, she thought, their interactions might have felt much like the ones they used to have back at DevTech. 

 

“So tell me,” Helen once began their conversation with a simple question, “Just how flawed  _ is _ the prison system? Coming from a genius’s standpoint, not an inmate’s standpoint.” 

 

At the inquiry, she almost found herself naively asking, “You really think I’m a genius?” But she refrained from expressing any real emotion. Why did Helen have such  _ power  _ over her? And where was she now?

 

Evelyn looked at the clock to her right. Ten-o-three. Any signs of Elastigirl were nonexistent, but the brunette remained glued to her chair anyway. 

 

“Ms. Deavor?” A warden approached Evelyn from behind, startling her. She shot him an angry look. “What do you want?”

 

“You’ve been sitting here for over an hour. Don’t you think it’s time you —“

 

“She’ll be here. Now leave me alone.” With an angry wave of her hand, Evelyn sent the warden away quickly, as he mumbled something about using ‘too many visiting hours.’ She paid no attention to him, and focused on trying to convince herself that Helen would eventually show up. 

 

_ You’re being childish. _ She told herself.  _ You don’t need her to baby you out of this place. You’re better than that.  _ Beating herself up mentally was what she did best, after all. 

 

_ You survived months in this place, and you surely can survive a few more.  _ It was astonishing that her mind was already prepared for the worst, even though jumping to conclusions  _ this  _ early was wrong of her. Somewhere in that head of hers, she knew that Helen was probably just busy. 

 

Probably.

 

* * *

 

Helen’s car came to a quiet stop in her garage at nine-seventeen that morning. As she opened the side door to her house before leaving once again — to visit Evelyn for the fourth time this week — Bob Parr greeted her with arms crossed. 

 

“Hey honey! I need to grab my wallet; I was just going to pick up some groceries. Need anything?” Helen had realized just as quickly as she had lied that today was  _ not  _ the day to forget her wallet at the house. Robert knew how bad she was at telling lies. 

 

“Groceries? That’s funny. Because I recall picking up groceries yesterday afternoon. And, unless someone has  _ eaten  _ all of the food I just bought… I don’t think we need any more groceries.”  _ Crap _ . Bob was onto her. “Do you want to tell me where you’re  _ really  _ going?” He added.

 

Helen sighed with defeat. “I… didn’t want to tell you before.”

 

“Clearly.” He didn’t seem upset. After all, Bob trusted Helen with everything he had in him. 

 

“But... I’ve been going to visit Evelyn Deavor.” At the sound of the name, Helen watched her husband’s muscles tense up with anger. “ _ What?” _

 

“That’s why I was hesitant to tell you. I’m-“

 

“Why, of all people, are you visiting  _ her _ ?”

 

Helen only looked at Bob. She could see the rage in his face, but could tell that it was not directed at her. He hated Evelyn for the things she’d done to his family, and although Helen understood where that hatred stemmed from, she didn’t share those feelings with him.

 

“It was Winston.” She confessed, although at this point, she was not just visiting the prison for Winston. “He wanted me to help her get a better punishment; to help her out of prison. And that’s what I’ve been doing.” Despite the cold glare that her husband gave her, Helen went on. “I think she can change, Bob, if we give her a chance.”

 

Suddenly, and without warning, Bob’s angry expression dropped, and his body shook with laughter. Helen watched him closely, not understanding such a response. “You think,” he said between laughs, “That she’s changed? Oh, Helen. I love you, but sometimes you need to be a little less trusting.”

 

“Robert Parr. This is not a joke!” He laughed anyway.

 

Helen did not appreciate his attitude. She pushed past him quickly, headed for the room where she’d left her wallet. “I’ll see you in about an hour.” 

 

His laughter stopped abruptly; his once jovial tone changing to that of protectiveness. “You’re not going back there.” 

 

“Excuse me?” 

 

“To the prison. I can’t let you go, Helen. You don’t know what Evelyn could be capable of.” 

 

“In a prison cell? Honey. She’s smart, but not  _ that  _ smart.” 

 

“You don’t see me visiting Bomb Voyage in prison every other day, do you? She’s not special, Helen. She’s evil.” The last word stung Helen with a pain she hadn’t felt in a long time. Evelyn wasn’t evil… she needed some work, definitely, but Helen just couldn’t bring herself to believe that she was truly  _ evil _ . 

 

“This is different, Bob. Evelyn and I were friends, once. You remember the stories I used to tell when I was back at DevTech? She was kind, and intelligent, and…”  _ Sweet. Sincere. Funny. Beautiful.  _ None of the words could leave her tongue. They felt so right, yet sounded so wrong. “... she just needs a little help.” 

 

“She’s no different than any other criminal we’ve dealt with. I’m sorry that Winston wanted you to help — he’s a great guy — but you’re going to have to tell him no.” 

 

“I’ve already  _ told him  _ yes, Bob! I’m already four days into this damn project! Why can’t you just let me do this?” Helen was yelling now. The words that she shot at her husband seemed very different from her reasons behind yelling them, though. 

 

“Because I can’t let you parade yourself around with a felon! What do you think people will say about you when they’ve heard that you single handedly let the infamous Screenslaver free? What do you think they’ll say about me? About our family?” It wasn’t hard to see that the sharpness of Bob’s words came from a place of love and protection, yet Helen still felt the need to retaliate. She hated feeling corralled. 

 

“I’m not going to have this conversation with you.”

 

“Then I’m calling Winston and telling him that you’re no longer available to help his sister.” Without waiting for a response, picked up the phone quickly, and dialed Winston Deavor’s number. 

 

Before he could even start talking, Helen felt tears well up into her eyes. Though Bob was probably right about Evelyn being untrustworthy, Helen had begun to form a bond with the woman. The conversations she had engaged in with Evelyn were far more intelligent than anything she’d experienced before, and it was refreshing to share her different opinions with someone who  _ understood.  _ Or at least, with someone who acted like they understood. 

 

It seemed to be a fate decided too soon. Surely Helen was helping Evelyn already — if not legally, then physically. She had noticed that in just a few short days, the dark circles under Evelyn’s eyes had diminished; likely due to Helen’s nagging for her to get more rest. Along with that, Evelyn seemed less agitated with each visit. It was as if her mood improved simply because she was in Helen’s presence. So why couldn’t her husband understand?

 

She sat at her kitchen table silently and wondered how she could relay the news to Evelyn. Her companion had no connection to the outside world, yet this information couldn’t go without reaching her. 

 

Evelyn didn’t deserve to be left in the dark. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> We all know how much Bob loves his wife and, although this is a Hevelyn fic, I most certainly did not want to stray from canon. Happy Sunday!


	5. The Shut-Out

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> In which Helen discovers a halt in her progress.

Helen tapped her foot nervously as she sat on the side of her bed with the phone up to her ear. It had been three days since Bob had forced her away from visiting Evelyn, and she was feeling bad about leaving her out of the loop.

 

“I’m sorry, Mrs. Parr, but she just doesn’t want to talk to you.” At the statement, she let out a shocked laugh. “ _ She  _ doesn’t want to talk to  _ me?  _ The woman is in prison!” 

 

“I know, ma’am. But I don’t know what to say.” 

 

Helen’s blood boiled. She was sure that Evelyn was angry at her for not visiting, but completely ignoring her phone call, when she knew that Helen could potentially get her out of jail?  _ That  _ was insane. 

 

Helen sighed, and thought hard about the consequences of her next statement. Despite weighing more cons than pros to the idea, she continued to speak to the worker on the phone. “Tell her that I’ll be there to visit in two hours. And if she doesn’t show up… then she can forget about my assistance.” 

 

“Yes, ma’am.” And with that, the conversation was over. Now all she had I do was go through Bob.

 

* * *

 

Evelyn sat alone in the mess hall eating a small ham sandwich, when her warden approached her. “Helen Parr will be visiting you in two hours. Don’t get too excited.”

 

She shrugged in response. 

 

“She wants me to tell you that if you don’t show up, that you can ‘forget about her assistance.’” 

 

As the warden walked away, Evelyn slammed her fist down on the cold metal table, which earned a few angry looks from her fellow inmates. She rolled her eyes and stood up angrily. 

 

_ That woman.  _ She thought,  _ Thinks that she can just come and go as she pleases? She promised to be there for me, and then she left me in the dark! How could I even trust her after that? _

 

But the real question was: How could Helen trust Evelyn after everything  _ she’d  _ done? Evelyn waved the thought away and sulked back to her cell. 

 

* * *

 

Bob Parr flipped the newspaper open and read intently.  _ Well known local Super, Overthink, missing.  _ The paper read. Bob moved the page closer to his eyes. 

 

Helen took three quick strides through the living room, headed for the front door. “Honey?” Bob called after her, “Look at this article in the —“ 

 

“I’m going out.” She interrupted. “To visit Evelyn. If you don’t like it… I guess we can argue when I get back. But this is important.” 

 

Bob set the newspaper on his lap, and looked at his wife, who had her back turned to him — looking for her keys. He said nothing in response, and let her walk out the door. “She always  _ did  _ get what she wanted.” He chuckled after she had exited, knowing that he would never be able to steer his wife away from something she was after.

 

He loved her  _ so much _ .

 

* * *

When Helen arrived at the prison just 15 minutes later, Evelyn was already sitting in the booth, waiting.

 

Helen’s first words were not hopeful. “Our plan to bust you out of jail is definitely going to be on a slight delay.”

 

“Screw you.” Evelyn refused to look at her, and instead looked at the small table in front of her, arms crossed. 

 

“Evelyn, why are you so quick to shut down on me?”

 

“I’m not. I’m just used to abandonment.” Evelyn thought of her parents, and even of her brother. She could feel tears begin to form at the corners of her eyes, but she forced them back out of embarrassment. “But it doesn’t matter.” She continued, “How’d you get the warden to let you out?” 

 

Helen looked at her, surprised. Evelyn was the one in prison, not her. “What?”

 

“Robert.” Evelyn enunciated every syllable of the name, displaying immense disgust with the husband of her present company. 

 

Helen avoided a direct response. “I don’t know how often I’m going to be able to visit you. That’s why your release is delayed.” 

 

“Screw you.” Evelyn returned to her original response. 

 

“I told Winston to visit you as much as possible. I know you hate being alone.” 

 

Evelyn’s stomach churned. This woman had  _ pity  _ for her, which is the last thing she wanted. She would not be viewed as weak and helpless. “I  _ hate  _ when you decide that everything I do should be monitored under your jurisdiction. I didn’t need you before and I don’t need you now.” 

 

Helen was taken aback by Evelyn’s harsh words. Only a few days had passed, but any bonding that had happened between the two women was now nonexistent. If she was making any progress with Evelyn, it came to a screeching halt. 

 

“Don’t you want to leave this place?” Helen gestured to the room around her. “It looks like hell.” 

 

“Feels like heaven. I’d rather be in this jail cell then on house arrest; viewed by tabloids, ridiculed and called a criminal.” Evelyn stood up. “I don’t want to cause problems with your husband. He’s right for not trusting me. He’s right for hating me. I almost agree with him. I hate myself too. So I’d like to inform you that this will be our last visit. I don’t want — or need — your help, Elastigirl.” And with that, Evelyn walked away. 

 

Helen only sat in the stool of the visiting room, not knowing what to do next. 

 

* * *

Why did she have to do that? Turning away one of the only people who wanted to help her was foolish — and she knew it.

 

Nonetheless, Evelyn knew that she was granted more freedom in prison than out of it. More ridicule was not something she needed at this point in her life, and although Helen meant a whole lot to her, she didn’t need her help anymore. 

 

In only just a short while, Evelyn was over it all.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry for the late update guys! I’ve been super duper busy. I’m hoping to officially update every Sunday from now on. Hope you enjoyed the chapter!

**Author's Note:**

> Hello, everyone! Thank you so much for reading! I’ve got a lot in store for this fanfic, and I can’t wait for you to see it! If you’d like to see more of me, or get extra updates about when I post, feel free to follow my Instagram (@incrxdibles) and my Tumblr (@incredxbles) !


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